A Back Sculpting Yoga Flow

Happy Monday! Hopefully, your weekend was fantastic and you were able to do something wonderful! This was the first weekend the hubs and I were both home together, so we had an easy weekend at home.

This weekend I was also able to do some reading on back strength that led me down the rabbit hole of interesting reads. It all started when I went to the chiropractor and got a massage and adjustment for the first time in 2+ months. It was not the comfiest of visits and I am quite certain that my masseuse, who usually likes me, was trying to kill me. The chiropractor was also quite disappointed with my massive back tightness and asked if I had been having back spasms or cut back on yoga. Guilty on both counts, for shame.

I later read a couple of articles on back strength (including this one) and it led me down the bunny hole of internet reading. Turns out that yoga can help us in more ways than body weight training alone. This Huff Post article talks about the significance of back pain and whether or not yoga is a viable remedy while this article talks about the reasons yoga is good for us to do.

For these reasons, I wanted to create a simple interval workout based on a few core yoga poses that help with back strength and flexibility. As far as I know, we have never touched on back workouts here on P+K, this one is a great way to go into that new territory- it will work your lats, trapezius, teres, rhomboids, and even the bum!

I recommend doing at least one set of this, holding each pose for as long as possible. Then, if you want to try it all again, see if you can hold each for a few seconds longer! If you are doing two sequences of this, no need to do the first set of sun salutations the second time around. Also, links or explanations of every exercise are listed below :)

Sun Salutations

Sphinx Push-Up

Down Dog Plank Rolls: Go from downward facing dog to plank, hold in plank, then return to downward facing dog. The movement should cause a roll in the back, much like a wave.

Locus Pose

Banana-Boat

Cobra Push-Ups: Start in cobra pose and push-up so you are almost in upward facing dog. Be sure you are using the arms and upper back. Hold at the top before coming back down to cobra.

Side Plank Dips

Swimmies

Dancing Shiva

This Week in Workouts: Being Back

First off, I found this video earlier today and absolutely loved it. It is a big advertisement for proper skincare, but more-so, it is just plain pretty! The music in it just might be one of my favorite parts. Another favorite was that some people seem to look prettier with the UV light and freckles showing. As a girl with freckles, I simply love seeing people who look dazzling with them!

Being back home after a long trip is one of the best feelings ever. An equally good feeling is being back in your usual hot yoga class after a long time away. I was totally able to accomplish my goal this week of taking two hot yoga classes and feel all the better for it! This week has also been a time for me to get lots and lots of work done on all fronts... Which is pretty great considering that I am taking two days off next week to have all wisdom teeth removed. Yikes!

I would tell you more about the tooth removal situation, but when the doctor started telling me, I kindly asked him to stop talking. This will be my first ever surgery and I am already nervous enough, let alone finding out what will be taken out of my mouth. A serious no thanks there!

Annnyyywayy, off that tangent and back to the workouts... This week was pretty good on the workout front and I was able to get in to Fit2Run for a run analysis. Turns out that I roll my feet in after landing. The best shoe we found for this was the Nike Lunarglides- the shoes I almost bought two weeks ago and wore religiously during college. The Lunarglides reeaalllyyy hurt to run in at first, but I think that was because of some foot injuries that they brought up; my third run this week felt fine and I am happy to see how they work for my run today. 

Sunday: 1-mile run

Monday: My first Hot Power Yoga flow with my favorite instructor in 2-months!!

Tuesday: 1-mile run in my new shoes!

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: 2-mile run followed by this kettlebell workout. My bum is still sore from those few minutes with the kettlebell.

Friday: Rest day- I had an Orange Theory class scheduled but had to cancel due to the immense soreness my legs and bum were feeling from the kettlebell workout. Seriously, I walked like a zombie for two days.

Saturday: 90-minute Hot power Yoga flow!!

Weekly Workout Goal

I just found out that my Orange Theory membership has kicked back up and I now have two weeks to use four classes. For that reason, this week and next week's workout goals are to use all the classes. My hope is to complete two classes per week, all with my favorite trainer!

Weighing In

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Since we are all friends here, I decided to be pretty honest about something... Summers can be a bit fickle for me in the gaining weight department, especially since we are up in Michigan where sweatshirts and booties are my daily uniform. This year was no different and I found myself eating, eating, and eating some more. I am not one to eat on a schedule; at home I eat when I am hungry and don't when not. Up in Michigan things are a bit different since meals are scheduled and I do not always make my way down to them. For this reason I find myself eating 2-3 of each meal and not the most healthy of things either. There is also TONS of midnight snacking and eating right before going to bed. The worst. 

When we got home I put myself on a scale for the first time in two months and was SHOCKED. This body of mine had somehow found a way to pack on ten extra pounds in 2-months time. Yikes. Although I am super happy that two of those pounds are muscle from all my intense Michigan workouts, the other 8-lb's were a bit of a shock. I am a big supporter of weight being but a number and the way you feel being most important, but have personally been feeling a bit bigger and clothing that I usually love is not zipping up so well.

So many of us go through these weight yoyo's and it just made sense to share mine with you. Sometimes we see people we think are super fit and healthy or have it all together, but the fact is, all of us have issues. Right now, my issue is losing those extra pounds that seemed to glue themselves to me over the summer.

The hubs recommended that I try a low-carb lifestyle for a while since he knows my addiction to bread and the whole thing about it not being great for me (I could, and have, eaten an entire loaf of bread in one sitting- it is just so good!). It is actually going very well and he is being super good about not having breads or super carby snacks in the house. Things are much easier not to eat when they are not available :)

So far, I have lost two of those pounds and these are a few of the things that have helped me do it...

• A low-carb diet that has plenty of fruits, veggies, and lots of protein!
• Snacking. My stomach seems bottomless now and I feel like I could eat an entire buffet's worth of food in one sitting. Snacking keeps me satisfied better than big meals that turn my stomach into a black hole of calories.
• Hot Yoga. This is something my body has very obviously been missing. It raises my heart rate, burns fat, and keeps my mind at peace... Everything I love in a workout!
• Drinking coffee black. So long yummy creamers filled with carbs, you weren't that great anyway.
• No more splurge days. This has probably made the biggest difference. I use to have one splurge day a week but could never remember when the last one was or would go out with friends a day after the splurge and end up having way more splurging than healthy eating on a weekly basis. Now, I am eating healthier by just keeping a healthy diet in mind and avoiding not-so-great things. If I want something unhealthy, it is not held off for a week, but instead, eaten in small quantities.

What are some of your tips and tricks to staying healthy or loosing some extra weight? I would love to know any suggestions you have and may even create a post or two about all your fantastic ideas! Any of your favorite calorie burning workouts would also be super appreciated since trying new workouts are, pretty much, the best thing ever!

Happy Friday friends, I hope your weekend is simply wonderful! Be sure to check out my workout sum-up this Sunday as well :)

TBT: 6 Ways to Use Push-Up Bars

Push-up bars have quickly become one of my favorite (and only) workout tools. They are great for increasing a workout's intensity, while decreases stress and strain on your joints. The increased range of motion gives muscles a longer distance and amount of time to work. This means that the same exercise done with push-up bars can work more muscles for longer and give better results than a workout without. If you have ever suffered from sore, tight wrists when done with a plank workout or a set of push-ups, these will help decrease that pain and stiffness during and after the workout. I use my push-up regularly after a jog when I am doing my plank workout and find my shoulders and wrists are less stiff post workout, while my range of toning increases!

There are plenty of ways and workouts that we can benefit from using the push-up bars, these are six of my favorites that will increase results and work everything from the arms and back, to the bum and legs, to the core.

Push-Ups

Doing regular push-ups with push-up bars is a great way to vary a common routine. The difficulty level is increased with these since you can go about two inches lower. Complete a regular push-up with bars out straight and palms facing in, then lower down so you are almost touching the ground, hold, and return to starting. So great for the arms, shoulders, chest, and back.

Wide Arm Push-Ups

These are great for working the back and triceps. Place the bars so they horizontal  and a bit more than shoulder width apart. Hold the bars so your fists are facing forward and the bars are in the same line as your shoulders. Lower down so your head is level with the bars, hold, then rise back up.

Shoulder Press

This is a step up from the usual push-up and will work your shoulders, chest, and arms. Go into push-up position with bars under shoulders and feet resting on a chair. Complete the push-ups as usually with feet remaining stationary on the chair the entire time. If you would like to increase the difficulty, place feet against a wall instead.

Plank Toe Rolls

Go into plank position and begin on the balls of your feet with arms in alignment with shoulders. Roll your body forward so your you are on your tip toes and your shoulders are above the arms. Be sure to keep your core tight and body fluid while moving. Hold, then return to starting position. This is great for the inner thighs and core!

Leg Tucks

Leg tucks will give your core and arms a workout. Begin by sitting on the ground with arms to the side and palms facing in- holding the push-up bars. Raise your body off the ground so your arms are supporting most of your weight but your feet are still at rest. Tuck your feet and bend knees into the chest. Hold, then extend the right leg. Hold the right leg out while the left is still tucked in, then tuck both legs to the chest. Repeat, extending the left leg out. The straighter your leg and back are, the better the results will be. To increase the intensity, try extending both legs together.

Triceps Dip

Like the name implies, these are will work your arms, and more specifically, your triceps. Begin in the same position as the leg tucks with arms by your side and palms facing in. Legs should be extended and heels should be on the ground. Lift your body up so your arms are supporting most the weight. Bend arms backward so the body lowers toward the ground and hold right before the bum touches the floor. Slowly come back up to starting position.

Push-Up

Wide Arm Push-Up

Shoulder Press Part I

Shoulder Press Part II

Plank Toe Rolls Part I

Plank Toe Rolls Part II

Leg Tucks Part I

Leg Tucks Part II

Triceps Dip

This post has been, by far, the most popular article on P+K yet- which makes me wonder, did you come to P+K through 6 Ways to use Push-Up Bars? Originally posted on January 15th, 2013